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Peláez SS, Mahler HC, Huwyler J, Allmendinger A. Directional freezing and thawing of biologics in drug substance bottles. Eur J Pharm Biopharm 2024:114427. [PMID: 39094667 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejpb.2024.114427] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2024] [Revised: 07/19/2024] [Accepted: 07/24/2024] [Indexed: 08/04/2024]
Abstract
Biological drug substance (DS) is typically stored frozen to increase stability. However, freezing and thawing (F/T) of DS can impact product quality and therefore F/T processes need to be controlled. Because active F/T systems for DS bottles are lacking, freezing is often performed uncontrolled in conventional freezers, and thawing at ambient temperature or using water baths. In this study, we evaluated a novel device for F/T of DS in bottles, which can be operated in conventional freezers, generating a directed air stream around bottles. We characterized the F/T geometry and process performance in comparison to passive F/T using temperature mapping and analysis of concentration gradients. The device was able to better control the F/T process by inducing directional bottom-up F/T. As a result, it reduced cryo-concentration during freezing as well as ice mound formation. However, freezing with the device was dependent on freezer performance, i.e. prolonged process times in a highly loaded freezer were accompanied by increased cryo-concentrations. Thawing was faster compared to without the device, but had no impact on concentration gradients and was slower compared to thawing in a water bath. High-performance freezers might be required to fully exploit the potential of directional freezing with this device and allow F/T process harmonization and scaling across sites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah S Peláez
- ten23 health AG, Mattenstrasse 22, 4058 Basel, Switzerland; Institute of Pharmaceutical Technology, Goethe University Frankfurt, Max-von-Laue-Strasse 9, 60438 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Hanns-Christian Mahler
- ten23 health AG, Mattenstrasse 22, 4058 Basel, Switzerland; Institute of Pharmaceutical Technology, Goethe University Frankfurt, Max-von-Laue-Strasse 9, 60438 Frankfurt am Main, Germany; Department Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Basel, Klingelbergstrasse 50, 4056 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Jörg Huwyler
- Department Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Basel, Klingelbergstrasse 50, 4056 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Andrea Allmendinger
- ten23 health AG, Mattenstrasse 22, 4058 Basel, Switzerland; Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Department of Pharmaceutics, University of Freiburg, Sonnenstr. 5, 79104 Freiburg, Germany.
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Peláez SS, Mahler HC, Vila PR, Huwyler J, Allmendinger A. Characterization of Freezing Processes in Drug Substance Bottles by Ice Core Sampling. AAPS PharmSciTech 2024; 25:102. [PMID: 38714592 DOI: 10.1208/s12249-024-02818-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2024] [Accepted: 04/25/2024] [Indexed: 05/10/2024] Open
Abstract
Freezing of biological drug substance (DS) is a critical unit operation that may impact product quality, potentially leading to protein aggregation and sub-visible particle formation. Cryo-concentration has been identified as a critical parameter to impact protein stability during freezing and should therefore be minimized. The macroscopic cryo-concentration, in the following only referred to as cryo-concentration, is majorly influenced by the freezing rate, which is in turn impacted by product independent process parameters such as the DS container, its size and fill level, and the freezing equipment. (At-scale) process characterization studies are crucial to understand and optimize freezing processes. However, evaluating cryo-concentration requires sampling of the frozen bulk, which is typically performed by cutting the ice block into pieces for subsequent analysis. Also, the large amount of product requirement for these studies is a major limitation. In this study, we report the development of a simple methodology for experimental characterization of frozen DS in bottles at relevant scale using a surrogate solution. The novel ice core sampling technique identifies the axial ice core in the center to be indicative for cryo-concentration, which was measured by osmolality, and concentrations of histidine and polysorbate 80 (PS80), whereas osmolality revealed to be a sensitive read-out. Finally, we exemplify the suitability of the method to study cryo-concentration in DS bottles by comparing cryo-concentrations from different freezing protocols (-80°C vs -40°C). Prolonged stress times during freezing correlated to a higher extent of cryo-concentration quantified by osmolality in the axial center of a 2 L DS bottle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah S Peláez
- ten23 health AG, Mattenstrasse 22, 4058, Basel, Switzerland
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Technology, Goethe University Frankfurt, Max-Von-Laue-Strasse 9, 60438, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Hanns-Christian Mahler
- ten23 health AG, Mattenstrasse 22, 4058, Basel, Switzerland
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Technology, Goethe University Frankfurt, Max-Von-Laue-Strasse 9, 60438, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
- Department Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Basel, Klingelbergstrasse 50, 4056, Basel, Switzerland
| | | | - Jörg Huwyler
- Department Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Basel, Klingelbergstrasse 50, 4056, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Andrea Allmendinger
- ten23 health AG, Mattenstrasse 22, 4058, Basel, Switzerland.
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Department of Pharmaceutics, University of Freiburg, Sonnenstr. 5, 79104, Freiburg, Germany.
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Vitharana S, Stillahn JM, Katayama DS, Henry CS, Manning MC. Application of Formulation Principles to Stability Issues Encountered During Processing, Manufacturing, and Storage of Drug Substance and Drug Product Protein Therapeutics. J Pharm Sci 2023; 112:2724-2751. [PMID: 37572779 DOI: 10.1016/j.xphs.2023.08.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2022] [Revised: 07/24/2023] [Accepted: 08/07/2023] [Indexed: 08/14/2023]
Abstract
The field of formulation and stabilization of protein therapeutics has become rather extensive. However, most of the focus has been on stabilization of the final drug product. Yet, proteins experience stress and degradation through the manufacturing process, starting with fermentaition. This review describes how formulation principles can be applied to stabilize biopharmaceutical proteins during bioprocessing and manufacturing, considering each unit operation involved in prepration of the drug substance. In addition, the impact of the container on stabilty is discussed as well.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Joshua M Stillahn
- Legacy BioDesign LLC, Johnstown, CO 80534, USA; Department of Chemistry, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA
| | | | - Charles S Henry
- Department of Chemistry, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA
| | - Mark Cornell Manning
- Legacy BioDesign LLC, Johnstown, CO 80534, USA; Department of Chemistry, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA.
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Bluemel O, Anuschek M, Buecheler JW, Hoelzl G, Bechtold-Peters K, Friess W. The effect of mAb and excipient cryoconcentration on long-term frozen storage stability – Part 1: Higher molecular weight species and subvisible particle formation. Int J Pharm X 2022; 4:100108. [PMID: 35024603 PMCID: PMC8724966 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpx.2021.100108] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2021] [Accepted: 12/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Cryoconcentration upon large-scale freezing of monoclonal antibody (mAb) solutions leads to regions of different ratios of low molecular weight excipients, like buffer species or sugars, to protein. This study focused on the impact of the buffer species to mAb ratio on aggregate formation after frozen storage at −80 °C, −20 °C, and − 10 °C after 6 weeks, 6 months, and 12 months. An optimised sample preparation was established to measure Tg′ of samples with different mAb to histidine ratios via differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). After storage higher molecular weight species (HMWS) and subvisible particles (SVPs) were detected using size-exclusion chromatography (SEC) and FlowCam, respectively. For all samples, sigmoidal curves in DSC thermograms allowed to precisely determine Tg′ in formulations without glass forming sugars. Storage below Tg′ did not lead to mAb aggregation. Above Tg′, at −20 °C and − 10 °C, small changes in mAb and buffer concentration markedly impacted stability. Samples with lower mAb concentration showed increased formation of HMWS. In contrast, higher concentrated samples led to more SVPs. A shift in the mAb to histidine ratio towards mAb significantly increased overall stability. Cryoconcentration upon large-scale freezing affects mAb stability, although relative changes compared to the initial concentration are small. Storage below Tg′ completely prevents mAb aggregation and particle formation.
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Bluemel O, Buecheler JW, Hauptmann A, Hoelzl G, Bechtold-Peters K, Friess W. The effect of mAb and excipient cryoconcentration on long-term frozen storage stability – part 2: Aggregate formation and oxidation. Int J Pharm X 2022; 4:100109. [PMID: 35024604 PMCID: PMC8724956 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpx.2021.100109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2021] [Accepted: 12/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
We examined the impact of monoclonal antibody (mAb) and buffer concentration, mimicking the cryoconcentration found upon freezing in a 2 L bottle, on mAb stability during frozen storage. Upon cryoconcentration, larger protein molecules and small excipient molecules freeze-concentrate differently, resulting in different protein to stabiliser ratios within a container. Understanding the impact of these shifted ratios on protein stability is essential. For two mAbs a set of samples with constant mAb (5 mg/mL) or buffer concentration (medium histidine/adipic acid) was prepared and stored for 6 months at −10 °C. Stability was evaluated via size-exclusion chromatography, flow imaging microscopy, UV/Vis spectroscopy at 350 nm, and protein A chromatography. Dynamic light scattering was used to determine kD values. Soluble aggregate levels were unaffected by mAb concentration, but increased with histidine concentration. No trend in optical density could be identified. In contrast, increasing mAb or buffer concentration facilitated the formation of subvisible particles. A trend towards attractive protein-protein interactions was seen with higher ionic strength. MAb oxidation levels were negatively affected by increasing histidine concentration, but became less with higher mAb concentration. Small changes in mAb and buffer composition had a significant impact on stability during six-month frozen storage. Thus, preventing cryoconcentration effects in larger freezing containers may improve long-term stability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oliver Bluemel
- Pharmaceutical Technology and Biopharmaceutics, Department of Pharmacy, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universitaet Muenchen, 81377 Munich, Germany
| | - Jakob W. Buecheler
- Technical Research and Development, Novartis Pharma AG, 4002 Basel, Switzerland
| | | | | | | | - Wolfgang Friess
- Pharmaceutical Technology and Biopharmaceutics, Department of Pharmacy, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universitaet Muenchen, 81377 Munich, Germany
- Corresponding author.
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Bluemel O, Pavlišič A, Likozar B, Rodrigues MA, Geraldes V, Bechtold-Peters K, Friess W. Computational Fluid Dynamic Simulations of Temperature, Cryoconcentration, and Stress Time during Large-Scale Freezing and Thawing of Monoclonal Antibody Solutions. Eur J Pharm Biopharm 2022; 177:107-112. [PMID: 35764219 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejpb.2022.06.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2022] [Revised: 05/24/2022] [Accepted: 06/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE Large-scale freezing and thawing experiments of monoclonal antibody (mAb) solutions are time and material consuming. Computational Fluid Dynamic (CFD) modeling of temperature, solute composition as well as the stress time, defined as the time between start of freezing and reaching Tg' at any point in the container, could be a promising approach to ease and speed up process development. METHODS Temperature profiles at six positions were recorded during freezing and thawing of a 2L rectangular bottle and compared to CFD simulations via OpenFOAM. Furthermore, cryoconcentration upon freezing and concentration gradients upon thawing of a mAb solution were predicted and the stress time calculated. RESULTS Temperature profiles during freezing were accurately matched by the CFD simulation. Thawing time was only 45min to 60 min longer in the model. The macroscopic cryoconcentration of the mAb was also matched by the simulation; only a highly concentrated region in the top and a diluted core in the geometrical centre of the 2 L bottle were not well reflected in the simulation. The concentration gradient after thawing obtained by simulation as well agreed with the experimental result. In addition, CFD simulations allowed to extract the global temperature distribution, the formation of ice, and thus the distribution of stress in the freezing liquid. CONCLUSION CFD simulations via OpenFOAM are a promising tool to describe large-scale freezing and thawing of mAb solutions and can help to generate a deeper understanding and to improve testing of the robustness of the processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oliver Bluemel
- Pharmaceutical Technology and Biopharmaceutics, Department of Pharmacy, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universitaet Muenchen, 81377 Munich, Germany
| | - Andraž Pavlišič
- Laboratory of Catalysis and Chemical Reaction Engineering, National Institute of Chemistry, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Blaž Likozar
- Laboratory of Catalysis and Chemical Reaction Engineering, National Institute of Chemistry, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Miguel A Rodrigues
- Centro de Química Estrutural, Department of Chemical Engineering, Instituto Superior Técnico, Lisboa 1049-001, Portugal
| | - Vitor Geraldes
- CeFEMA, Department of Chemical Engineering, Instituto Superior Técnico, Lisboa 1049-001, Portugal
| | | | - Wolfgang Friess
- Pharmaceutical Technology and Biopharmaceutics, Department of Pharmacy, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universitaet Muenchen, 81377 Munich, Germany
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Bluemel O, Rodrigues MA, Buecheler JW, Geraldes V, Hoelzl G, Hauptmann A, Bechtold-Peters K, Friess W. Evaluation of Two Novel Scale-Down Devices for Testing Monoclonal Antibody Aggregation During Large-Scale Freezing. J Pharm Sci 2022; 111:1973-1983. [PMID: 35007568 DOI: 10.1016/j.xphs.2022.01.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2021] [Revised: 01/05/2022] [Accepted: 01/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
There is a need for representative small volume devices that reflect monoclonal antibody (mAb) aggregation during freezing and thawing (FT) in large containers. We characterised two novel devices that aim to mimic the stress in rectangular 2 L bottles. The first scale-down device (SDD) consists of a 125 mL bottle surrounded by a 3D printed cover that manipulates heat exchange. The second device, a micro scale-down device (mSDD), adapts cooling and heating of 10 mL vials to extend stress time. MAb aggregation upon repeated FT was evaluated considering formation of higher molecular weight species, subvisible particles, and the increase in hydrodynamic radius, polydispersity index, and optical density at 350 nm. Three different mAb solutions were processed. Both an unshielded 125 mL bottle and the SDD can be used to predict aggregation during FT in 2 L bottles. In specific cases the unshielded 125 mL bottle underestimates whereas the SDD slightly overestimates soluble aggregate formation. The mSDD increases aggregation compared to 10 mL vials but is less representative than the SDD. Ultimately, both SDDs enable characterisation of protein sensitivity to large-scale FT with two orders of magnitude less volume and are superior to simply using smaller bottles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oliver Bluemel
- Pharmaceutical Technology and Biopharmaceutics, Department of Pharmacy, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universitaet Muenchen, 81377 Munich, Germany
| | - Miguel A Rodrigues
- Centro de Química Estrutural, Department of Chemical Engineering, Instituto Superior Técnico, Lisboa 1049-001, Portugal
| | - Jakob W Buecheler
- Technical Research and Development, Novartis Pharma AG, 4002 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Vitor Geraldes
- CeFEMA, Department of Chemical Engineering, Instituto Superior Técnico, Lisboa 1049-001, Portugal
| | | | | | | | - Wolfgang Friess
- Pharmaceutical Technology and Biopharmaceutics, Department of Pharmacy, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universitaet Muenchen, 81377 Munich, Germany
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